Windmill steering mechanism



(No Model.) y Sheets-Sheet 1'.

' J. S. ADAMS.

n WINDMILL STEERING MEGHAIINISM.. y No. 244,969. .Patnted Aug. 2,1881.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. s. iumms.y WINDMILL STERING MEGHANISM.

N. PETERS. Phqxoulhomwer. washmglon. 11C.

Nrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICEo f JOHN S. ADAMS, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS.

WINDMILL STEERING MECHANISM.

`SJ?ECIZFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,969, dated August 2, 1881.

Application led November 24, 1880. (No Model.)

To. all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN S. ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Elgin, in

the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented a new and usefulWindmill Steering Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in geared or power windmills, in which, instead of the tail-vane ordinarily used for steering purposes, there is substituted an automatic steerin g-wh eel connected with the mast or fixed support of the turn-table by means of a speedreducing train of gearing, which ,mechanism not only steers and holds the windmill-head to the general direction of the wind, but also prevents the violent lateral oscillations to which a geared windmill steered by the ordinary tail-vane is subject in consequence of sudden Iluctuations in the force or the direction of the wind, or of sudden changes in the amount of power required by the machinery driven by the windmill; and the objects of my improvements are, first, to mount the steering-wheel above the turn-table, in or near the prolongation of its vertical axis, by which arrangement to expose the steering-wheel to an unbroken wind-current and to relieve the turn-table gearing from excessive lateral strain; second, to provide a reliable, durable, compact, and economical construction and arrangement of the parts supporting and operated by the steeringwheel; third, to provide means through which the horizontal position of a windmill having its vertical axis within or upon a tubular mast or turn-table support may be automatically controlled with reference to the general direction of the wind by the action of a steeringwheel; fourth,.to adapt a windmill, the windwheel of which is journaled in or upon an arm of an independently-pivoted swinging-bracket, to be steered by and to operate in combination with an automatic steering-wheel and its connectin g mechanism. I attain these objects by mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-" Figure l is a side elevation of a windmill embodying my invention, with the wind-wheel swung out of the wind. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the box and the mast supporting the steerin g-wheel, and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a windmill embodying my invention, in which the mast of the steering-wheel is mounted directly over the vertical axis ofthe windmill.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts throughout the drawings.

A .represents the tubular mast of the windmill, provided with iianges a a, by means of which it is secured to the cap of an ordinary windmill-tower.

Passing, through the mast A is a tubular turn-table, B, upon which is su pported a swinging bracket, C, carrying the wind-wheel C. The lower arm of the swinging bracket is steered upon the turn-table at c, and its upper arm is provided with a pinion, c', the hub of which is rigidly secured at its upper end to the swinging bracket, and its lower end is stepped, so that it may freely turn in the lower arm of a bracket, D, rigidly secured to and n ioving with the turn-table.

The upper arm of the bracket D is provided with a stop or end bearing for the Vertical shaft d, upon which shaft is secured' a bevel-wheel, df, actuated by a similar wheel, d2, upon the hub of the wind-wheel C.

E represents a reciprocating tube connected with and actuating a pitman, e, which is piv- .otally connected with the arm of a segment, e',

journaled upon the rigid bracket D and gearing with the bevel-pinion c', secured to and supporting the swinging bracket C upon the rigid bracket on the turn-table.

All of the parts above referred to have been described and shown in detail, as well as claimed, in an application now pendingin the United States Patent Office, and as they do not form an essential part of my present invention, only so far as they show one of its applications, no further description of them is necessary.

In the arrangement of parts shown in Figs. l and 2 the horizontal arms of the rigid bracket are perforated to receive a tubular mast, F, which is rigidly secured to the bracket by setscrews fand f', the latter of which also secures a collar, f2, upon the mast, to prevent vertical displacement of the sleeve L andthe Mast F extends above the top of the wind-wheel C' and terminates in a box or case Gr, provided' with a cover,l g, and with a IOO lateral extension, g', forming a bearing for the horizontal shaft It of a steeririgwheel, H, which shaft has upon its inner end and within the box a bevel-pinion, h.

Within thetubular mast F is a vertical shaft, I, which extends some distance below the mast, and is provided upon its upper end with a loose sleeve, to which is rigidly secured the beveled wheel i and the pinion fi', as shown in Fig.2. The pinion i meshes with a gear-wheel, i2, sleeved upon a vertical stud,i3, which stud also carries the pinion t, rigidly secured to gear-wheel i2 and meshing with a gear-wheel, i5, rigidly secured to the vertical shaft I. The gear-wheel if is provided with a hub, i8, revolving within an annular depression in the bottom of the box, which forms the vertical bearing and support for the shaft I, and also serves as a receptacle or reservoir for a lubricator for the bearing of the shaft. A collar, i7, rigidly secured to the top vof the shaft I, prevents vertical displacement of the bevel-wh eel i and the pinion i.

By gearing the steering-wheel with the sh aft I in the above-described manner it will be seen that while the steering-wheel may attain, during sudden violent changes of wind, a very high velocity, that of the shaft will be comparatively low, or, in other words, it is my intention to so proportion the train of gearing that it will require at least sixty revolutions of the steering-wheel to cause one revolution of the shaft, the purpose of which will be fully explained farther on.

In Fig. 3 is illustrated a different arrangement ot' the mast F and the train of gearing, which arrangement is in some respects preferable to that above described, and by which substantially the same results are secured. The tubular mast F (shown in Fig. 3) is rigidly secured within a socket formed upon the top of the rigid bracket D, directly over the vertical axis of the windmill, and terminates in a gear box or case, G, much smaller than that shown in Figs. l and 2.

The bevel-pinion h upon thehorizontalshaft of the steering-wheel meshes with a bevelgear, i, rigidly secured to the vertical shaft I', and having a hub or annular flange, t, which forms the vertical bearing and support for the shaft I', substantially as previously described in relation to shaft I, Figs. 1 and 2. The lower bearing of shaft I is formed in the upper arm of the rigid bracket D, through which it extends downward, touching, or nearly touching, the upper end of the vertical main shaft d, in which position it acts as a stop or end bearing to prevent the vertical displacement of the shaft el and its pinion d.

Loosely sleeved upon shaft I', below its bearing in the rigid bracket D, is a gear-wheel, i4, to which is rigidly secured a pinion, i5, which gear-wheel and pinion are vertically supported by the pinion i', which is rigidly secured t0 the vertical shaft I', and meshes with a gearwheel, t2, loosely sleeved upon the vertical shaft I. A pinion, t3, rigidly attached to and revolving with gear wheel i2, meshes with gear-wheel i* upon shaft I. The pinion i5, rigidly secured to and revolving with gearwheel i4, meshes with gear-wheel 6, which is rigidly secured uponand communicates power and motion to shaft I, which shaft extends below the lower arm of the rigid bracket, in the same manner and for the same purpose as shaft I of Figs. l and 2.

Loosely sleevedupon shaft I, below and supporting gear-wheel 2 and its pinion t3, is a sleeve, L, which forms a journal for pinion c2 and the storm-vane M, which are rigidly secured upon it.

The lower end of shaftI (see Figs. 1 and 2) passes through and has its lower bearing in the housing K, rigidly secured to and revolving with the tubular turn-table, and is provided with a cap, 7c, above the housing, to exclude water, ice, e., from its bearin g. Housing K is provided with an annular flange, t, journaled in a corresponding groove in the gearwheel K', which is rigidly secured upon the upper end of the tubular mast A, and meshes with a pinion, k2, rigidly secured upon the lower end of the vertical shaft I, so that when said shaft is revolved by the steering-wheel and its train of gearing the turn-table will be revolved, carrying with it the rigid bracket and the mechanism secured thereto.

When the wind-wheel C is out of the wind and at rest, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the face of the steering-wheel is parallel with the face of the wind-wheel 5 but when the wind-wheel is 4full to the wind the faces of the two wheels are at a right angle to each other. It will thus be seen that the normal position of the steering-wheel is edge to or out of the wind, and consequently at rest during winds blowing steadily in one direction. In case of any material change in the direction of the wind the steering-wheel will be revolved by the action of the wind against one of its faces, and will slowly revolve the turn-table upon its axis until the steering-wheel again stands edge to or out of the wind and ceases to move. Incase of sudden changes in the direction of a severe wind the action of the speed-reducing train of gearing will prevent violent lateral oscillation of the rigid bracket, and thus tend to prevent the violent con tact of the wind-wheel and the rigid bracket which would result from the efects of such a wind upon a windmill when steered by the ordinary tail-vane.

In my illustrations ot' the speedaeducing train of gearing I have shown only spur and bevel gearing; but I regard the use ot' a worm and worin-gear operating within the gear box or case G as clearly within the scope of this invention.

The construction and action of the auto matic governing mechanism of this windmill, consisting of the balance-vane N upon one ot' the stop-arms, N (see Fig. 3,) the storm-vane M and its connecting mechanism, acting in IIO combination .with 1an-ordinary tail-vane for `steering 1 purposes, y having been described, shown, and claimed inthe former application already referred to, it will only benecessary for me t0 show, describe, and claim them in their adaptation` to operate in combination with my improved steering mechanism. To this end the pinion e2, which meshes with the segment e and with the pinion c', is rigidly secured to the sleeve L, revolving uponandindependently of the mast F in Figsfl and 2, and the shaft I in Fig.` 3. Sleeve L also carries a storm-vane, M, having an arm, m, rigidly secured by a set-screw, m', to a collar, m2, which collar is rigidly secured to the sleeve L just above the pinion e2. Sleeve L is stepped in a cup-bearing, l, in the lower arm ofthe rigid bracket, and, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, its upper end enters the upper arm of the rigid bracket, and has an end bearing against a collar, f2, upon the mast F.

When the wind-wheel is out of the wind the face of the storm-vane stands parallel to the wind-wheel, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and as the wind-Wheel is swung into the wind the storm-vane swings into the wind in the opposite direction, so that when the wind-wheel is full to the wind their faces are again parallel, and the storm-vane extends slightly beyond the periphery of the wind-wheel. The area of the stormvane is such that when an increas-V ing wind attains the velocity required to produce a maximum strain upon the sails of the wind-wheel the wind-pressure upon the surface ofthe storm-vane willovercome the power of a counterpoise and canse the storm-vane and the wind-wheel to swing in opposite' directions toward the rigid bracket and partially out of the wind, where they will be maintainedat such an angle to an increasing wind as to maintainthe wind-wheel from more than a maximum strain, and when running light, at a maximum velocity above referred to. In other Words, my object is to avoid subjecting the wind-wheel to more than a desired maximum pressure of the wind,whether the mill be running heavy or light, as well as to prevent table from excessive strain. They also prevent injury to the wind-wheel or the mechanism of stant normal operation without risk of straining its parts or the machinery it operates.

The striking force of the Wind-wheel against the rigid bracket, and the limit of its movement away fromnthe same, is relievedv by means of the stop-arms N'NVwhich engage with an elastic cushion, n, in the rigid bracket, which `stopsand cushion are particularly described and shown in my former application, as has also the` means for manually operating the reciprocating tube E, the pitman-c, and the' segment e. i

Bythe combinedl operation ofthe steering Amechanism,'thebalance-vane, and the stormvane above described,` the various movements of the wind-wheel are so nicely and automatia windmill having its wind-wheel journaled upon a vertically-pivoted swinging bracket, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit its application to that particular construction; for it is obvious that it may also be applied to windmills in which the wind-wheel is journaled inv bearings rigidly secured to the turn-table or to the tail-vane bracket, or both. n

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let` f ters Patent, is-

ving-wheel with and actuating the turntable.

3. Inua solid-wheel windmill, the combina tion hereinbefore set forth, with a wind-wheel and with a turntable, of a steering-wheel and a storm-vane.

4. In a windmill, the combination, with a turn-table, and a wind-wheel pivotally connected with said turn-table, of a steering-wheel.

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connectedwith and adapted to operate said turn-table, and a horizontally-swin gin g stormvane independently pivoted in or upon the rigid bracket, as and for the purpose described. 5. The combination hereinbefore set forth, with the turn-table, the windwheel, the swinging bracket, and the steering-wheel, of a bal ance-vane, adapted to control the action of the wind-wheel, as and for the purpose described.

6.l The combination, with the turn-table, the housing K, and the rigid bracket, of the mast F, box Gr, steering-wheel H, shaft I, and train ofgearin g connecting said shaft with the steering-wheel and the mast, substantially as described and shown.

7. The combination, with theswingin g bracket, the turn-table, the rigid bracket, and the mast F, (or the shaft 1,) of a storm-vane and pinion, e2, upon said mast, (or shaft,) and the IZO pinion c, supporting the swinging bracket, as

the annular Bange of the housing is journaled, and the pinion k2, rigidly secured upon the end of the verticalv shaft, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto nfixed my signature Ithis 19th day of October,

and for the purpose setI forth.

S. The combination, with the wind-wheel, the turn-table, the rigid bracket, and the stormvnne, of the sleeve L, journaled as described, and mechanism for connecting said sleeve with the'wind-wheel, as and for the purpose set 1880. forth.

9. Thecolnbination,with the steering-wheel, JOHN S' ADAMS' the vertical shaft and mechanism connecting Witnesses:

said shaft and wheel, of the turn-table, the housing` K, the rigid gem'lwheel K', in which J No. G. ELLIOTT, J AMES H. COYNE. 

